Press Releases

A chicken farm investigated for possible H5 infection
Friday, October 20, 2000

The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) is investigating a chicken farm in Yuen Long to ascertain if the H5 avian influenza virus is present in the farm following screening tests on birds collected on Thursday (October 19) gave suspicious positive results for H5.

Speaking at a press briefing today (October 20), AFCD Assistant Director Dr Liu Kwei-kin said: "The findings indicate that the birds in the farm might have once been exposed to the virus but we are still looking for evidence of the presence of the virus."

"There is no evidence of disease in the birds on the farm as the birds are healthy and there has been no unusual mortality in the flock," he emphasised.

"As a pre-cautionary measure, the farm has been isolated and we will collect additional samples for definitive testing and virus isolation.

"Birds from the farm have been suspended from supplying the market, pending confirmatory test results expected to be available in a week's time.

"If H5 infection is confirmed, the birds on the farm will be destroyed to prevent possible spread of the virus," Dr Liu said.

There are no poultry farms immediately adjacent to the farm being investigated but approximately 18 other poultry farms are located in the area.

Dr Liu stressed that there is no imminent threat to public health and the measures taken are aimed at controlling the disease in chickens. AFCD will conduct detailed epidemiological studies to assess how an H5 virus could have entered the farm.

AFCD staff will conduct a full re-assessment of all poultry farms in Hong Kong starting with those with close links to this farm.

AFCD has been testing each local poultry farm every two months to co-incide with their production cycle.

As an additional measure to protect public health, AFCD will also examine and test every batch of local chickens destined for the market before they are sold.

Dr Liu said: "The results demonstrate the value of surveillance work done in monitoring for avian influenza viruses in Hong Kong for the protection of public health.

"The chickens supplied to local market are healthy and we will continue to take steps to prevent the virus from establishing in Hong Kong," Dr Liu stressed.

Meanwhile, the Department of Health has since early 1998 enhanced the influenza surveillance system. There are at present more than 100 sentinel points for influenza surveillance in the public and private sectors. So far the Department has not detected any case of H5N1 infection in man. The Department is committed to maintaining this enhanced surveillance system.